Neutral Coil – What is it in Vaping?

2>Definition

A Neutral Coil is a vape coil built or purchased with zero added resistance for the sole purpose of heating e-liquid, without intentionally altering flavour, colour, or nicotine strength. Unlike claptons or mesh strips designed to boost cloud or sweetness, a neutral coil’s job is simply to reach temperature quickly, vaporise the juice, and get out of the way. Beginners can think of it as the “plainblank” of coil types—reliable, consistent, and ideal for everyday nicotine or nicotine salt e-liquids.

Technical Details

Neutral coils are usually single-strand wires made from Kanthal A1, Nichrome 80, or 316L stainless steel, chosen for stable TCR (Temperature Coefficient of Resistance) and minimal off-taste. Typical gauges run 24–28 AWG, yielding resistances between 0.4 Ω and 1.2 Ω in a five-wrap 3 mm I.D. configuration. Because they lack outer wraps or complex geometry, ramp time is short (≈ 25 ms at 40 W) and surface area is moderate, keeping sweetener build-up low. Variations include “round-wire” (true neutral), “micro-coil” (closely spaced), and “contact coil” (tight wraps), all sharing the same goal: predictable ohmic heating without exotic ramp curves or hot spots.

Usage & Tips

Install on a cooled deck, pulse at 15 W to strum out hot spots, then wick snugly with Cotton“>organic cotton. Prime with three drops of juice, start at the manufacturer’s lowest recommended wattage, and step up slowly to avoid singeing nicotine salt liquids. If flavour mutes after 3–4 days, warm-water rinse the coil, dry-burn at 12 W, and re-wick—no need for aggressive brushing. Always check resistance on a Mod“>regulated mod before firing; a ±0.03 Ω swing is normal, but bigger jumps signal loose post screws or a compromised Battery“>NiMH battery connection.

History & Context

When cloud chasing exploded in 2014, vapers chased massive surface area with staggered fused claptons. By 2018, flavour purists pushed back, reviving the simple round-wire “neutral” build to let clean nicotine and low-sweetener recipes shine. Today, neutral coils dominate Australian mouth-to-lung pods and discreet DL setups, prized for low juice consumption and extended coil life.